I was really excited to see this video; what I believed would be a testimony of Doug Pagitt’s conversion!
I do not know about you, but I was disappointed, and not really surprised about what he described as conversion.
It sort of reminds me of the mockery Tony Jones made of being born again.
I can only imagine what the guys wrote down on the placemat at the burger king, maybe it was the gulf of sin that we cannot cross without Jesus, perhaps it was the faith train, maybe the trinity. I wonder, in 83, if it was the ladder.
I can only imagine what the version of Christianity he tossed away to give us the Christianity worth believing in. The christianity apostasy which mocks people for actually saying “The Bible Says” like the prophets of old “Thus saith the Lord” or that mocks eternal life in heaven with God as something to be disdained when the NT writers called it the ‘blessed hope’ and an ‘encouragement’. This same christianity apostasy that says that everyone is going to be restored and reconciled on the day of judgment.
What did Doug toss out? Biblical Christianity in favor of the christianity apostasy of Doug’s worldview, that fits him, and the world he lives in.
You would do well to remember, Doug, that Christianity is about Christ, to the glory of God.
It is the glory of God that determined to save sinners, to rescue us from our sin. It is the love of God that sent his Son into a world that was already condemned (John 3:16-19) To a world of people who were weak and ungodly (Romans 5:6-8) and unrighteous (Romans 3:9-18) with the goal of his kindness leading us to repentance (Romans 2). What do we need to repent from? Our lawless ways that are offensive to God, because of which he is storing up wrath (Psalm 7:11, Romans 2). We need to change our minds, followed by a change of direction (this is repentance) and then place all our trust in Christ Jesus for salvation from sin, and death, and lawlessness. Why does he save us? because it demonstrates His glory when a wicked sinner (like me) gets saved and molded into the image of Jesus Christ. And salvation is not just for the glorification (heaven). I have been saved, by justification, (paying the penalty on my behalf) redemption (the purchase price paid for slaves) and now I am being saved (sanctification, the process of becoming more like Christ as long as I live) and then I will be saved (glorification). This process is one in which I get a benefit, but God gets all the praise and glory.
It is a true conversion, where I have been changed (2 Corinthians 5:17) and have been made into God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:8-10) to do good works that demonstrate salvation and bring glory to God.
I just wonder: Since when is salvation by faith in Christ Jesus alone for salvation not a Christianity Worth Believing In?
